During my research for my upcoming book on military dogs, I’ve met a great many Marine dog handlers and their working dogs, and they’re usually incredibly bonded. A lot of these handlers have dogs waiting for them at home, as do so many others in the armed forces. Here’s a very heartwarming video of a dog who sees her Marine “dad” for the first time after a 7-month deployment (to Afghanistan, I will assume, although I haven’t found that out for sure yet). We love her utter joy at his return, and the way she “speaks” to him and gives him doggy hugs. He clearly loves her, too.

(If you like watching surprise homecomings of military personnel, check out the Welcome Home Blog, where I found this video. I’ve been pretty addicted to it for a while. There’s also a Lifetime TV show with that helps with surprise military homecomings. It’s called Coming Home, and when the little sons and daughters start weeping uncontrollably when they see their dad or mom for the first time in months, you’ll be reaching for the Kleenex yourself.)